The apostles had seen Jesus go to quiet places to pray. We read about him going to a place set apart from everyone and everything else many times in the Gospels. It was clearly a habit for Jesus.

Often we are unaware of our deepest needs and desires. Sometimes we need things and don’t know we need them. Sometimes we yearn for things but do not know exactly what we are yearning for. The men and women of every era yearn for connection and relationship with God, because we were made for that. Birds were made to fly, fish were made to swim, and human beings were made to love God and each other.

“Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.”  Luke 11

“The Prayer Process requires no mentor, no guide…just the process itself, and ten minutes of your time every day. Are you ready? Here goes:

THE PRAYER PROCESS

Gratitude:  Begin by thanking God in a personal dialogue for whatever you are most grateful for today.

Awareness:  Revisit the times in the past twenty-four hours when you were and were not the-best-version-of-yourself.  Talk to God about these situations and what you learned from them.

Significant Moments:  Identify something you experienced today and explore what God might be trying to say to you through that event (or person).

Peace:  Ask God to forgive you for any wrong you have committed (against yourself, another person, or him) and to fill you with a deep and abiding peace.

Freedom:  Speak with God about how he is inviting you to change your life, so that you can experience the freedom to be the-best-version-of-yourself.

Others:  Lift up to God anyone you feel called to pray for today, asking God to bless and guide them.

Finish by praying the Our Father.

These excerpts come from author Matthew Kelly: A Practical Guide to Life’s Essential Daily Habit I HEARD GOD LAUGH, p.36 & 41.